If you think you’re having a heart attack,
get help at once. Don’t wait to be sure. Call 911 right away. Delay
can be deadly.
Once you get help,
you will undergo tests to see if a heart attack has actually occurred.
Some tests are done at the hospital, while others can be done by
emergency medical personnel who come in an ambulance.
Key heart attack tests are:
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).
This is a graphic record of the electrical activity of the heart
as it contracts and relaxes. The ECG can detect abnormal
heartbeats, some areas of damage, inadequate blood flow, and heart
enlargement.
Blood test. A blood
test will be done routinely to check for enzymes or other
substances that are released when cells begin to die. These are
"markers" of the amount of damage to your heart.
Nuclear scan. This
test shows areas of the heart that lack blood flow and are
damaged. It also can reveal problems with the heart’s pumping
action.
A small amount of radioactive
material is injected into a vein, usually in the arm. A scanning
camera positioned over the heart records whether the nuclear
material is taken up by the heart muscle (healthy areas) or not
(damaged areas). The camera also can evaluate how well the heart
muscle pumps blood. This test can be done during both rest and
exercise, enhancing the usefulness of its results.
Coronary angiography (or arteriography).
This test is used to check blockages and narrowed areas inside
coronary arteries. A fine tube (catheter) is threaded through an
artery of an arm or leg up into the heart. A dye that shows up on
X ray is then injected into the blood vessel, and the vessels and
heart are filmed as the heart pumps. The picture is called an
angiogram or arteriogram.
